The present invention relates to an auxiliary apparatus for an electric circuit breaker, the electric circuit breaker being, in the open position, able to interrupt the circulation of a current in an electrical connection, the electrical connection including at least one electrical conductor, the electric circuit breaker including a mechanical output member, movable between an operating position and a stop position corresponding to the interruption of the circulation of the current in said electrical connection following opening of the circuit breaker.
The auxiliary apparatus comprises a mechanical coupling means for mechanical coupling with the mechanical output member, the mechanical coupling means forming means for detecting the opening of the circuit breaker.
The present invention also relates to an electric system comprising an electric circuit breaker and such an auxiliary apparatus mechanically coupled to the electric circuit breaker.
The present invention also relates to a method for determining a cause of opening of the electric circuit breaker using such an auxiliary apparatus.
An auxiliary apparatus of the aforementioned type is known. Such an auxiliary apparatus is also called a contact auxiliary, and includes a first coupling means with a trigger bar of the circuit breaker and a second coupling means with an actuating lever of the circuit breaker. It then makes it possible to determine whether the circuit breaker is open following manual actuation of the lever, the state of the circuit breaker then also being called the open state, or following the presence of a fault, such as an electric overload, on the electrical connection having caused the triggering of the circuit breaker, the state of the circuit breaker then also being called the fault triggered state. When the circuit breaker is in the closed position, the state of the circuit breaker is also called the closed state.
However, such an auxiliary apparatus only makes it possible to know the open, closed or fault triggered states and does not make it possible to more precisely know the cause of opening of the electric circuit breaker with which it is associated.